Farmers Weekly Podcast

Senior reporter Richard Rennie talks us through some of the leading stories this week, including some new research on the ability of soil to sequester carbon. He then discusses what East Coast leaders are saying in the wake of yet another rain event.

Federated Farmers president Wayne Langford is all smiles after the government agreed to all 12 of his policy priorities. He says the plan now is to make sure any new policy is tested for its ease of implementation by rural communities.

A new dedicated rural after-hours telehealth service has launched, providing access to medical advice and diagnosis for almost 900,000 New Zealanders. In this episode, Bryan talks with Ka Ora clinical director Dr Emma Calvert about the service. Bryan also chats with Federated Farmers dairy chair Richard McIntyre about concerns over dodgy semen and the impact on farmers. And senior reporter Richard...

Senior reporter Richard Rennie talks us through some of the leading stories this week, including some good news for kiwifruit growers, and how research from the Riddet Institute might change the nutrition guidelines across the globe. He also reports on an Agritech NZ webinar that highlights some opportunities for NZ tech companies.

A new dedicated rural after-hours telehealth service has launched, providing access to medical advice and diagnosis for almost 900,000 New Zealanders. Bryan talks with Ka Ora clinical director Dr Emma Calvert about the service.

Federated Farmers wants LIC to do more for farmers affected by a dodgy batch of semen. Dairy chair Richard McIntyre is one of those farmers and he tells Bryan that while LIC is being proactive in addressing the issue, farmers need more from the co-op.

Fonterra’s plan to reduce emissions efficiency by 30% in the next six years has left some wondering if they’re being too ambitious. But only 7% of that goal is reliant on new technologies. AgriZero, the joint venture between the government and industry, is confident it will have tools available to farmers in time to meet the target. CEO Wayne McNee tells us how (skip to the 6-minute mark). The Far...

Fonterra has revealed its plan to reduce on-farm emissions by 30% by 2030. Bryan unpacks the plan with Federated Farmers dairy chair Richard McIntyre (skip to the 20:10 minute mark). In this week’s feature interview, MyFarm boss Andrew Watters talks about what he calls the third wave of land-use change and the options available to farmers looking to diversify their income (skip to the 8:50 minute...

Willie Wiese, Alliance chief executive, joins Bryan to discuss the turmoil in global markets that has seen the co-op go from a record profit last year to predicting a loss this season (listen from the 1:20 minute mark). Then Bryan chats with Amy Hoogenboom, who won the emerging achiever award at the recent Beef + Lamb NZ awards. Amy reckons NZ farming needs to communicate better and adopt a positi...

Bryan catches up with a young Federated Farmers member, Danielle Hovmand, who thinks young farmers should be able to use their KiwiSaver funds to invest in land or livestock. He also has an in depth chat with two Massey University researchers about the findings of a recently completed survey on how people view farming in New Zealand, casting a new light on the 'rural-urban divide' issue. But first...

Forward planning is more essential than ever right now as we face reduced farm budgets and an El Niño summer ahead. In the latest Farmers Weekly In Focus partner episode, Bryan Gibson chats to Aaron Stafford, Ballance national corporate account manager, to find out what farmers can do to be El Niño-ready.

Last weekend’s general election saw the country turn blue, with National given the task of forming the next government. Bryan talks to Federated Farmers president Wayne Langford who hopes a change of government might bring about a change in mood for farmers. Senior reporter Richard Rennie wraps up the election results and explains why rural voters were one and done with Labour. There’s been some c...

Greenhouse gas emissions in New Zealand are in decline largely due to decreases in emissions across the agriculture sector, according to a new report. The Ministry for the Environment (MfE) and Stats NZ have released the latest three-yearly update about the state of New Zealand’s atmosphere and climate. It suggests that the cost of responding to extreme weather events is likely to increase. Troy B...

Bryan talks with Massey University lecturer in animal welfare Dr Kat Littlewood about changes to welfare standards for Merino farmers, as well as some of the other global shifts in welfare standards that might be coming. Then, Federated Farmers president Wayne Langford discusses why they’ve teamed up with Forest & Bird to tackle wild pests. And Richard Rennie looks at the closure of two rural...

Bryan talks with Meat Industry Association chief executive Sirma Karapeeva, who has just returned from leading a technical delegation to China. She says post-covid China is different to the one she visited prior to the pandemic, but while the economy is subdued there are opportunities for NZ exporters. Then, Bryan catches up with Otago Federated Farmers representatives Emma Crutchley and Luke Kane...

This week Bryan talks to Safer Farms chair Lindy Nelson about the Half-Arsed Stops Here campaign. Lindy says it's not about compliance, or other people creating rules for farmers. "This is about us taking responsibility and coming together to find solutions and we honestly believe those solutions are out there." Then, Richard McIntyre from Federated Farmers gives an update on the call for an inqui...

Next week is Mental Health Awareness Week, a time to reflect on a health challenge that is often invisible, and even when it’s not it can be hard to talk about. That’s beginning to change with programmes like Farmstrong giving voice to those who have been affected. There are others in the farming family who also work tirelessly to normalise talking about our mental health. One of those is Federate...

A new report commissioned by DairyNZ and the Dairy Companies' Association of New Zealand outlines the massive contribution the dairy sector makes to the economy. Bryan speaks with John Ballingall of Sense Partners, which wrote the report, about the successes the sector has enjoyed and the challenges ahead. Mark Hooper from Federated Farmers previews the big rural election debate being held in Hami...

This week's feature guest is Findal Proebst, secretary of Future Farmers NZ, a group of young people with a clear idea of what our food and fibre future looks like. Bryan also catches up with Federated Farmers vice-president Colin Hurst to unpack farm plans, freshwater reform and what Feds is doing to try and lessen the regulatory burden. Hugh Stringleman wraps up the reporting season, which has s...

The Ballance Farm Environment Awards celebrate the New Zealand farmers who put sustainability at the heart of their businesses. In this bonus Farmers Weekly in Focus episode, Bryan talks with the Gordon Stephenson Memorial Trophy holder Steven Nichol of Auldamor about what the awards mean to him and how the environment shapes his farming strategy. Then Ballance Agri-Nutrients science strategy mana...

Canterbury University Professor of Physics David Frame has given the government’s plan to price farm emissions a tentative tick. But says New Zealand needs to have a conversation about its priorities as the push to reduce emissions intensifies. And, he says the sector needs to find peace with the fact that the science around methane is well understood. Also in this episode, senior reporter Neal Wa...

This week Bryan talks with two innovators who were recognised for their contributions to the food and fibre sector this week. Agrisea chief executive Clare Bradley won the Robin Davidson Memorial Award at the Agritech NZ awards ceremony, while Hopefield Hemp, run by Blair and Jody Drysdale, won the innovation award at the Arable Awards in Christchurch. Richard Rennie previews the trade delegation...

Six months on from Cyclone Gabrielle, the grass is finally beginning to grow and east coast farmers are enjoying a bit of sun. Bryan took a drive through Hawke's Bay and sat down with three farmers who told him what it's like to be in the climate's crosshairs and how they're faring now.

Episode 2 has two feature interviews, the first with agricultural economist Phil Journeaux who talks us through AgFirst’s latest dairy farm model budget, which foresees losses. Then we have Alliance Group’s general manager for global markets Shane Kingston, who warns the outlook for red meat is just as grim. Senior reporter Hugh Stringleman analyses the latest drop in dairy commodity prices at the...

Episode 1 features an in-depth interview with FoodHQ chief executive Dr Victoria Hatton. She chats to Bryan about a new report that looks at emerging proteins. Hatton’s team has rated New Zealand’s ability to succeed in producing 10 key “alternative” proteins. Senior reporter Richard Rennie also gives an update on a couple of key stories he’s been working on, as he unpacks a new study from Manaaki...